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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743404">now they're memories on the wall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hecckyeah/pseuds/hecckyeah'>hecckyeah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>among the stars [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Bonding, Family Feels, Fluff, New Republic Era (Star Wars), Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Skywalker Twin Bonding Time, and meet their cousin, the twins finally visit naboo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:40:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hecckyeah/pseuds/hecckyeah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after the fall of the Empire, Luke and Leia travel to Naboo on behalf of the New Republic to ensure good relationships with the people there. </p><p>And on the way, Leia decides it's time she told Luke the only piece of information she has about their mother, which turns out to be more useful than she had thought...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leia Organa &amp; Luke Skywalker, Pooja Naberrie &amp; Leia Organa, Pooja Naberrie &amp; Luke Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>among the stars [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. don't you worry, child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Luke breathed a deep, heavy sigh and leaned back in his seat.</p><p>“Not bad for your second time flying this thing,” he said and threw his sister a sideways glance.</p><p>Leia raised an indignant eyebrow and released her hold of the ship’s controls. Around them, the stars flew by in a whirl of blue and white, swirling in a too-familiar vortex. The ship was unusually quiet; they hadn’t even brought C-3PO along on this escapade. R2-D2 sat in the corner of the cockpit, his lights dimmed, mostly powered off and quiet for a change.</p><p>Crossing his arms, Luke closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He let his mind open . . . felt the familiar rush of sensation as the Force moved around and spoke to him. His sister was on edge, he could feel that much. And she was hiding something.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” he asked without turning his head or opening his eyes.</p><p>“Nothing,” Leia lied.</p><p>“You’re so tense it’s making <em>me</em> nervous.” He cracked open his right eye and watched as Leia squeezed her thumb with her opposite hand. “I thought this was just another diplomatic mission.”</p><p>“It is,” she said hurriedly.</p><p>“Naboo is supposed to be friendly,” Luke pressed gently. “Other than being Palpatine’s—”</p><p>Leia cut him off. “I know.” She let out a deep breath. “It’s not that. You know they were always loyal to the Old Republic. And they tried to declare neutrality after the Empire rose to power.”</p><p>Luke nodded. He knew the story. Naboo was one of the few systems that had resisted the Empire just as Palpatine gained power . . . but they were one of the first to be beaten into submission, by Vader himself. Their monarchy crumbled after that, and any semblance of their former political glory had been stripped away. The Emperor considered them his own territory, despite abandoning them for much of the Clone Wars. And as such, they were kept under the utmost scrutiny.</p><p>Now, Luke thought, it was very valiant of his sister to personally offer aid and resources to the recovering planet.</p><p>Leia set her jaw and stared straight ahead, gazing into nothing. “Our mother was from Naboo.”</p><p>Luke’s head spun around so fast, he almost pulled a muscle in his neck. “What?”</p><p>A flicker of a smile warmed Leia’s face. She met his eyes. “I probably should have told you earlier.”</p><p>He drew in a deep breath. “Naboo?”</p><p>Leia nodded and fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. “My mo—Breha. She used to tell me a few stories. My father, Bail, and our mother were close friends all through the Clone Wars.”</p><p>Drawing his eyebrows together, Luke waited for his sister to continue. Leia took another breath.</p><p>“Her name was Padmé.” She gave a slight shrug and smiled. “That’s all I know. My father told me just before . . . Before he died. He said her name was the most important secret I ever had to keep. She was a very important person. If the Empire found out I was her daughter . . .” She shuddered. “I don’t want to know what would have happened.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Despite the fact that six years had passed since he’d left Tatooine for the first time, Luke had never quite become accustomed to the idea of entire planets made of greenery and water. Just the idea of endless water that didn’t have to be rationed had taken him months to accept. Staring down at the lush, misty planet of Naboo was like gazing into paradise.</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” he murmured, almost unaware he’d said it out loud.</p><p>Leia smiled. “It looks a lot like Alderaan.”</p><p>Luke felt her dull, aching pain through the Force, and for the hundredth time he mourned with her the loss of her home, her family, her friends . . .</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he said. And he meant it.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>As the ship’s ramp lowered, Artoo nearly knocked Luke onto his face. The little droid beeped and whistled, obviously eager to get going.</p><p>“Calm down, Artoo,” Luke admonished quietly as Leia made her way down to greet the reception party. He followed slowly, allowing his sister to properly greet everyone first, as she represented the New Republic.</p><p>“Naboo thanks you for your kindness,” said a tall woman who stood at the front of the group. She looked to be about Luke’s own age, but she wore dark makeup around her eyes that could have easily belied her years. She wore a white headdress that stood maybe two inches above her head and flowed down around her shoulders. Her dark blue, intricately folded robe hid her hands from view and spiked high around her neck, coming to two points behind her shoulders. She held her chin high and her eyes pierced Luke’s soul.</p><p>“Offering our aid and allegiance is the least we can do,” Leia replied softly.</p><p>The representative nodded, turned slightly toward Luke, and bowed. “It is an honor, Master Jedi. We thank you for joining us.”</p><p>He swallowed, still not used to the title. He wouldn’t have chosen it on his own, but the galaxy seemed to embrace it, and so he was determined to wear it with pride. “The honor is all mine,” he replied, bowed in turn, and wrapped his cloak more securely around himself.</p><p>Representative Pooja smiled and gracefully turned, leading everyone toward the gaping courtyard.</p><p>Leia had brushed him up on the specifics of Naboo politics before their visit. He knew they used to elect their queens, before the Empire. Senators would traditionally go to live on Coruscant, but the queen lived on-planet and was the overarching ruling voice of her people. But just like the Empire had destroyed most systems of power in the galaxy, Naboo’s traditions and politics took a severe hit. The people had no say in the matter of senators, and the process of electing a queen was struck down by Palpatine himself.</p><p>Pooja, who now led the little group through the palace grounds, had been chosen by her people to lead only two years prior, after the fall of the Emperor. She was not granted the title of Queen; rather, they called her a representative. Luke wondered why.</p><p>As Leia and Pooja strolled down the winding, stone-arched paths, Luke trailed along just behind them. He took everything in; admired the hanging flowers, the towering pillars, the simple, natural beauty of it all. And he wondered if his own mother had been fortunate enough to walk down these same paths. Had she been just a simple citizen? Leia had said she was an influential person. Had she had a role in this very palace?</p><p>The questions lingered in his mind for a while, until Pooja led them into a wide-open, sunny hall with an oval table in the middle. He took a seat silently beside his sister and brushed aside any distracting thoughts.</p><p>“So,” Pooja said in a low, formal, monotone voice. “Let us talk.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“That went well,” Leia said sincerely, with a smile lighting up her eyes.</p><p>Luke nodded in agreement and sat gingerly on the arm of the couch. Pooja and her aides had provided them with a spacious suite in the palace so they wouldn’t have to sleep on the ship. Luke didn’t mind the bunks at all, but the ship had no windows except the cockpit, and this view . . . he could have stayed in this spot for years, just looking at the rolling hills and wide, sparkling lakes.</p><p>“Already lost in the view, are we?” Leia joked. She must have really been pleased with the outcome of the discussions—Luke hadn’t heard her joke around like that in at least a month. “Or is this called impromptu meditation?”</p><p>He couldn’t help but grin. “Maybe both.”</p><p>A while passed, and Luke didn’t try to keep track of how long it was.</p><p>He watched a few birds fly by, as he allowed his mind to wander. Allowed himself to let go of his consciousness for a while, and just relax as the Force spoke to him and swept through him and around him . . .</p><p>At the corner of his mind, a feeling tugged. He couldn’t place it. He focused on one tree at the other side of the lake and reached out to the city below him, sensing all the people and their newfound joy after being removed from under the Emperor’s iron fist. The Force guided his mind toward a distant hill, and beyond, where a stone road lay, with greenery on every side and a yellow cottage . . . A child’s smiling face . . .</p><p>“I was thinking,” he said quietly, and he felt Leia’s attention on him from the other side of the room. “Since we’re here . . .” He trailed off. Couldn’t quite allow himself to say the rest.</p><p>“You want to see if we have family here?” Leia asked, which made Luke break his focus from the window. She smiled knowingly at his confused expression. “I’m not blind, Luke. That’s all you’ve been thinking about.”</p><p>He let out a short breath and smiled. “Once we’re done with—” he swept a hand in a wide gesture, “all this.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“Is Padmé a very common name here?”</p><p>Luke jumped at his sister’s blunt words. He had thought she would approach the subject with a little more tact, but thankfully Pooja just smiled.</p><p>“No,” she said quietly. “It is not.”</p><p>The discussions that morning had gone smoothly again, and Leia only thought they needed to stay on Naboo for another two or three days, to be polite. The people of Theed were incredibly warm and welcoming, despite the reign of terror they’d endured for twenty-three years. They were eager to negotiate a place in the New Republic, fully committing themselves and their resources. Not every diplomatic mission had gone this smoothly. They were lucky.</p><p>“I know of only one woman with that name,” Pooja continued after a brief pause, wherein Luke felt the air thicken with grief. “We remember her dearly.”</p><p>“Who was she?” Leia murmured. “If you don’t mind.”</p><p>Instead of answering, Pooja stood from her chair and walked around the oval table. Her aide rose to follow her, but she waved a dismissive hand. “Come,” she said and gestured to the twins. “I will show you.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Luke had never seen such a room before. The moment he stepped through, a weight pressed on him, as if the air tried to pierce straight through him. Leia gasped.</p><p>Above them, the dark, gaping ceiling held hundreds of branches—vines, twisting together this way and that. A few beams of light entered from the far side, streaming through the stained-glass window, which depicted a woman, crouching on her knees, her head bowed and her hands pressed close to her heart. Each wall was adorned with layers of black and golden tapestries, woven in intricate, indiscernible patterns. They swept across the room, still as death and yet more beautiful and breathtaking than anything Luke had ever seen. Towering pillars surrounded the three people as they moved almost silently, their barely-audible footsteps still echoing through the chamber. Pooja stopped at a white marble structure that jutted out from the middle of the floor, and she placed her hand lightly upon it.</p><p>“Senator Amidala,” Pooja pronounced reverently, “was dearly beloved by all her people. She was killed by the Empire, only twenty-five standard years ago.” She motioned toward the stained-glass window. “Our own artisans made this in her honor.”</p><p>Luke had no words to say. He rested his hand on Leia’s shoulder and felt more than anticipated her question.</p><p>“Was she . . .” Leia started, then stopped. “Was she ever married?”</p><p>Pooja gave her guest a confused glance but in the interest of diplomacy, didn’t let it linger. “No,” she said. “However, she was said to have been killed while pregnant. The child . . . did not survive.” She bowed her head again and her shoulders stiffened. “She was a remarkable, honorable woman, and her death was one of the greatest tragedies of our history.”</p><p>“Did you know her personally?” Luke wondered, a strange kind of recognition tugging at his mind.</p><p>Pooja looked up and met his gaze, and suddenly . . . it clicked. “Yes,” she said, though she didn’t need to say anything. He had already predicted the next few words that she uttered. “She was my aunt.”</p><p>Why hadn’t he seen it before? She carried herself with dignity; the same way Leia did. And to his shock, when he met Pooja’s eyes . . . he saw himself in them.</p><p>“Your aunt . . .” Leia breathed. “She was our mother.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“How did you know?” Pooja asked, her entire demeanor lightyears from the rigid, political mask she’d worn before. Now she sat beside Luke and Leia on a wide bench, just outside the east wing. Around them, birds sang, insects buzzed, and Pooja’s eyes were wide with joy.</p><p>“My adoptive father,” Leia explained, “was Bail Organa. He knew Padmé quite well during the Clone Wars. He told me her name and her birth system, but nothing else.”</p><p>Pooja tilted her head. “Padmé is not a common name, but it is not unheard of. This is a large system, with many moons. She could have been anyone else.”</p><p>Luke took a breath. “I know it was her,” he said simply, and left it at that. The joyful singing of the Force around him told him everything he needed to know.</p><p>He felt Pooja’s confusion and uncertainty, but he didn’t know how to explain it to her in a decent amount of time. Thankfully, she had all the grace and tact as any qualified diplomat. “Was your father a Jedi too?” she asked gently, and Luke looked up.</p><p>“He was.”</p><p>Pooja smiled. “I remember when I was a child, before the Empire. Aunt Padmé came home to visit and brought a Jedi called Anakin . . . Anakin Skywalker. He was kind to us and showed us some of his tricks.” She extended a tentative hand, swishing her fingers in a bad imitation of a Force push.</p><p>Luke glanced to the side and met Leia’s eyes. They knew about as much about their father before his fall as they did about their mother. And so, Leia’s impression of Anakin was . . . not positive, to say the very least. Vader had been her direct opposition during her time in the Rebellion and had personally tortured her for information, not to mention the many, many other personal attacks on her and on Han. If there was one thing Luke knew about his sister, it’s that she was quick to trust . . . but slow to forgive. He didn’t blame her. Most mentions of Anakin put her on edge and sent her emotions into a swirling mess.</p><p>“He was our father,” Luke said quietly, his eyes flickering across the long stone walkway above them, where a few people stood, idly chatting with each other.</p><p>Leia had stilled, and he couldn’t quite gauge the emotions radiating from her Force signature. They were mixed and jumbled together in an unintelligible flurry of new information and dawning realizations.</p><p>If this information surprised Pooja at all, she didn’t show it. “I had wondered,” she said. “Padmé kept her personal life very secret, but Mam and Da always had their suspicions. It would have been . . . <em>scandalous</em> for a Jedi to be married, you know.”</p><p>Luke tilted his head. Neither Obi-Wan nor Yoda had ever approached that particular subject with him. And all the reading he’d done about the first Jedi Order had not yet explicitly mentioned marriage . . . “Really?”</p><p>Pooja laughed. “Yes. But I don’t remember any details about rules. I was so young when I met Anakin. And the Jedi were not very public about their beliefs or their inner workings.”</p><p>A few quiet seconds passed, and Luke felt thousands of questions swirling around his mind, itching to learn more. Owen and Beru had mentioned his father only a handful of times, always with the false story of the spice freighter. They had admitted that they had almost no recollection of his mother, especially not her name. Beru would tell him, in her soft, placating way, ‘She was very beautiful, Luke. And kind, like you.’ But that was the extent of it. And now, not even Pooja could tell him much more than that.</p><p>“I suppose I should tell you,” Pooja said slowly. “My mother, Sola, lives just outside the city.” She smiled. “She would want to meet you.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The outer edge of Theed was certainly a far cry from the inner palace grounds. The cobblestone streets were much rougher, more curved, and the houses stood low and blended nicely into the hills around them. There were no archways or marble rails, and the people walking the streets were dressed in simple blues and light browns. But just like the palace, vines and flowers of all varieties hung from doors and over walkways, everywhere they looked. Luke gripped his hands together under his robe. Beside him, Leia’s arm brushed his occasionally and her quick footsteps matched her excitement.</p><p>She and Luke had both been without family ever since that fateful day on the Death Star, six years ago. Of course, they had found each other, and for that they were infinitely grateful. But the pain of losing everything they’d ever known cut deep. And now, walking next to their cousin, knowing their aunt was not far away . . . Leia seemed about ready to explode with anticipation.</p><p>She had told Luke on one occasion, while they worked late into the night and Han attempted to keep them company by telling glamorous stories of his smuggling career, that she had never wondered much about her real parents. She loved Bail and Breha dearly and sometimes even forgot she had been adopted. Blood and lineage didn’t carry much weight for her, as was the tradition in Alderaanian culture. All that mattered was family, no matter the origins.</p><p>But even so, Luke knew the importance of this trip, and this discovery of theirs.</p><p>And as Pooja led them toward a small stone staircase, Luke felt his stomach twist. His cousin reached out a hand and rapped lightly on the dark wooden door.</p><p>“Mam,” she called, and Luke heard some motion from inside. The door swung open, and a silver protocol droid tilted its head to the side.</p><p>“Mistress Pooja,” it exclaimed. “We were not expecting you home so soon.”</p><p>Luke shifted his weight on his feet and felt Leia’s tension beside him. She moved closer so her shoulder pressed against his arm.</p><p>“Yes, I know,” Pooja admitted to the droid. She craned her neck to glance through the door. “Is my mother here?”</p><p>The protocol droid stepped aside, voiced an affirmative, and let Pooja wave Luke and Leia inside. “We have guests, Bee-Nine,” she said. “Can you tell Mam?”</p><p>“Of course,” the droid said and disappeared into a hallway.</p><p>Pooja threw a brilliant smile over her shoulder and led the twins into the house, motioning to the spacious sitting room. “Please, make yourselves at home.”</p><p>Luke returned the smile and glanced around the room. It reminded him of the suite in the palace, but much less ornate. Holos of smiling faces stood on a table at the far side of the room, and a shelf hung on the same wall, filled with decorative plates, sculptures, and foliage.</p><p>“Thank you,” Leia said and stepped further in. “This is a lovely house.”</p><p>Pooja inclined her head slightly. She opened her mouth to answer, but a soft exclamation came from the attached hall.</p><p>“Pooja,” a woman’s voice cried and rushed forward to embrace the person in question. “I wasn’t expecting you for another week.”</p><p>“Apologies, Mam,” Pooja said and gladly returned the embrace. “I should have sent a message ahead.”</p><p>The woman shook her head in loving protest, and Luke shifted his eyes around the room, trying to remain inconspicuous even as he sensed Leia’s thrill of awe rush through her.</p><p>“Mam,” Pooja continued after a moment, and turned, motioning toward the twins. “I brought guests. Meet Councilor Leia Organa of the New Republic, and her brother Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.” She waved her hand back toward her mother. “Luke, Leia, meet my mother, Sola Naberrie.”</p><p>As Luke inclined his head, he registered Sola’s slight shock at the name Skywalker. But she stepped forward and took both the twins’ hands in a firm but kind greeting. “It is an honor to meet you, Councilor,” she turned to Luke, “Master Jedi.”</p><p>“The honor is all ours,” Leia murmured.</p><p>Luke met his aunt’s eyes and echoed his sister’s sentiment. Sola looked strikingly like her daughter, even down to the dark, deep-set eyes and her somber yet earnest smile.</p><p>“Are you here to negotiate for the New Republic?” Sola asked conversationally, but with an urgent undertone.</p><p>“We are,” Leia assured her. “And your daughter has been wonderfully cooperative. It is good to know that we have the allegiance of the Naboo.”</p><p>At that, Sola smiled, forming kind wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Luke got the sense that her smiles were rare, and understandably so. Her eyes, while kind and open, carried a deep sadness that he instantly recognized.</p><p>With a graceful sweep of her arm, Pooja led her mother further into the sitting room, toward the nearest chair, and motioned Luke and Leia to the wide blue sofa. “Let’s sit down, Mam,” she said with an edge of excitement in her voice. “There’s something I need to tell you.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. see, heaven's got a plan for you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Sola Naberrie had never felt so alone.</p><p>She had always enjoyed solitude and quiet. Social functions and intense debates had never appealed to her, in contrast to her sister. While Padmé was off, galivanting around with politicians and Jedi alike, Sola preferred to stay home with her parents and her few close friends. And later, she built herself a peaceful life with her husband and two daughters. She couldn’t have asked for any more than that.</p><p>But after Padmé died . . . Sola’s life changed.</p><p>She mourned her sister day in and day out. She visited Padmé’s grave every five days to lay fresh flowers out and say a heartfelt blessing. She watched as the stained glass was meticulously created and hung, piece by piece, until the brilliance of red and yellow and blue made the white marble pillar sparkle and shine in the midday light. It was a sharp contrast to the dark mood that room invoked.</p><p>And under the iron fist of the Empire, life looked bleak.</p><p>She worked alongside Darred to provide for their daughters, joining him in his architecture business, then watching it as it crumbled. She welcomed her parents into her home as their health took a sharp turn for the worse. And she watched helplessly as a seventeen-year-old Ryoo packed her bags, boarded an interworld shuttle, and settled on Coruscant to work in the Imperial Palace, without a second glance back at her family.</p><p>When Pooja expressed interest in politics, Sola didn’t have the heart to stop her. But she should never have worried: Her youngest daughter shared Padmé’s pure soul and good intentions, and for that Sola was grateful. So it was no surprise that Pooja quickly rose in planet-wide popularity, being elected Imperial Representative at the ripe age of twenty. She used her position wisely and never fell down the path of corruption that taunted and threatened Ryoo every day on Coruscant. Pooja lived on Naboo in the palace, surrounded by her own people, and visited her mother and father and her ailing grandparents regularly. She was just and kind and loyal to Naboo, she took every slice of liberty that belonged to her, and she jumped through all the Empire’s hoops. She consulted her mother for wisdom and read every piece of information that existed regarding her aunt. She followed in Padmé’s footsteps to the best of her ability and truly embraced what it meant to be a leader.</p><p>When the Empire fell, the vote to elect Pooja as a ruler was nearly unanimous.</p><p>Sola could never have been prouder.</p><p>But Pooja rejected the title of Queen. And the whole planet held its breath.</p><p>Maybe in time, she had said. But the planet needed to rebuild first. People needed unity, and from Pooja’s point of view, having one reigning queen would distract from the true problem: restoring peace across the system.</p><p>Padmé would have been proud of her tact and diplomacy, Sola had told her. And Pooja had smiled shyly, shedding just a few tears.</p><p>But for all her daughter’s success, it only reminded Sola of her dear sister. Twenty-five years did little to numb the pain of loss, and after Darred’s untimely death, Sola fell into a solitude akin to hermitage, save for Pooja’s bi-weekly visits and the oversight of her parents’ care.</p><p>Padmé wouldn’t have wanted her to isolate herself, she knew, but it was the course her life took, and who was she to challenge fate?</p><p>But then . . . Pooja showed up at her door a week earlier than usual. And with her, she brought a young woman with dark hair and familiar, piercing eyes, and a young man with a kind smile and a purposeful yet quiet demeanor.  </p><p>And they claimed to be Padmé’s long lost children.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“How is this possible?” Sola whispered. She had since abandoned her chair and instead rushed forward to join Luke and Leia on the wide blue sofa. She clasped Leia’s hand like a lifeline. “We were told . . .” She paused.</p><p>“That we died with our mother,” Luke finished for her. His voice was low and careful, and with striking clarity, Sola recalled the same voice and demeanor as another Jedi she had met more than twenty-eight years prior . . . Telling them how much danger Padmé was in, and how he would be there to protect her . . .</p><p>“I don’t know how we survived,” the young man continued, choosing his words slowly. “We don’t know much about anything.”</p><p>“It’s all really a mystery, Mam,” Pooja added. “But I believe them.”</p><p>Sola nodded earnestly and squeezed Leia’s hand again. She had no doubt either. “You have her eyes, you know.”</p><p>Leia’s mouth fell open and she looked up in wonder. “I <em>didn’t</em> know,” she said softly, and glanced around Sola to meet her brother’s gaze. “We’ve never—” She stopped, and drew in a breath.</p><p>“Before this week,” Luke explained, “I didn’t even know Padmé’s name.”</p><p>Sola’s chest tightened and she drew her eyebrows together. She only began to realize the extent of detachment these precious young people—her niece and nephew—had from their family’s history. They had no connection, no contact . . . For all intents and purposes, they didn’t exist. For twenty-five years. They had been stolen away, as they said, and hidden. <em>If only they had been brought to us,</em> she cried to herself. <em>We would have taught them about their mother. Their heritage . . . Their home . . .</em></p><p>“Will you tell us about her?” Leia asked softly, and at that moment, Sola was transported back to her own childhood, running through the house with her little sister, chattering excitedly about nothing at all. She saw flashes of long curls . . . of deep, curious eyes . . . of childlike awe and innocence. In Leia’s guarded yet hopeful expression, Sola saw her sister. Clear and bright as day. There could be no question of familial relation now.</p><p>“Of course I will, dear heart,” Sola said and had to fight with all her strength to keep her tears at bay.</p><p>At long last . . . she felt as if she had her sister back again.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“And you joined the Rebellion?” Pooja asked, eyebrows raised. “Just like that?”</p><p>Luke nodded and shrugged. “They just lost a fighter in their squadron, and I could fly. So I volunteered.”</p><p>“And I vouched for you,” Leia reminded her brother. “Remember?”</p><p>Sola smiled. The whole story was slowly coming out and being pieced together. Of course, most of the galaxy had already known the name Luke Skywalker, and Sola was no exception. His name ricocheted around every star system as either a curse or a hushed, hopeful whisper. <em>The Rebel who destroyed the Death Star,</em> they would say. <em>The man who rescued a princess. </em>The stories were often embellished, spat upon, and/or dragged through the dirt. The Empire had done all it could to squash any talk of the Rebellion, but rumors spread quickly. And now, hearing of these heroics from a firsthand point of view . . . She realized just <em>how</em> warped and changed the tales of the Rebellion had become.</p><p>“Did you join the Rebellion at the same time, Leia?” Ruwee Naberrie asked from the chair beside Sola. He and Jobal—Sola’s parents—had returned from a short outing just as Leia began explaining their part in the Rebellion and how they found out about their parentage. Needless to say, more tearful hugs were exchanged and more exclamations of <em>‘How is this possible?’ </em>and <em>‘We thought we had lost you!’</em> were shared, and the twins were officially—thoroughly and warmly—welcomed into the Naberrie family.</p><p>“Oh, no,” Leia said. “I was raised on Alderaan—I suppose you knew Bail Organa?”</p><p>Ruwee tilted his head, then nodded. “Yes, I knew of him.”</p><p>Leia smiled and looked down at her hands. “He and his wife adopted me. Raised me as a princess of Alderaan and I joined the Imperial Senate as a teenager.” She looked up and all Sola could see was Padmé, speaking passionately about her work in the Senate and all the good she would do for her planet and even the whole galaxy. Those deep eyes, so young yet so world-weary . . .</p><p>“My father had always fought in the Rebellion,” Leia continued. “It was only natural that I should join him.”</p><p>“Your mother would have done the same,” Jobal said, and the room grew quiet. At any mention of Padmé, Sola could see Luke and Leia stiffen slightly, waiting with bated breath to hear more.</p><p>Jobal continued: “She only ever wanted freedom and democracy for all people. Before she was elected queen, she went on quite a few relief missions to dying systems. Her vision . . .” Jobal paused and took a breath. “She always saw the galaxy as something greater than herself. And she saw people as equals, no matter who or where. She would have been very proud of you both.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“I remember one summer,” Sola said with a smile, “we went down to the lake country for a few weeks.” She crossed her legs and leaned forward, meeting the twins’ intrigued eyes. “Padmé was only six at the time, and she decided she was going to catch a fish.”</p><p>Jobal laughed delightedly. “We had no fishing equipment, mind you.”</p><p>Sola’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded. “She said she was going to catch a tryo-fish with only her bare hands.”</p><p>“And didn’t she, Mam?” Pooja asked, a conspiratorial smirk lighting up her eyes.</p><p>Her grin widening, Sola covered her eyes in mock-weariness and nodded while the twins laughed together. “She did. Somehow, against all regular laws of physics and nature, tiny little six-year-old Padmé marched herself out into the middle of the lake until she was neck deep—” Sola raised a hand to her chin, showing how high the water had been, “—and stood there for almost an hour, waiting for a tryo-fish to swim past, just so she could wrestle it down and bring it back for dinner.”</p><p>“She insisted on eating every bit of it, too,” Ruwee added. “She was so proud of her—” he mimed quotation marks in the air, “—hard work.”</p><p>At this point, Leia’s face was bright and unbelieving, still deciding whether she should laugh outright or gasp in horror at the image of a tiny child undertaking such a task.</p><p>Sola shook her head. “It certainly explained her career path.”</p><p>“Oh, it was impossible to argue with her once her mind was set on something,” Jobal agreed. “She was more stubborn than a bantha in a hayfield.”</p><p>“Well, at least we know where <em>she</em> gets it from,” Luke said, pointing toward his sister with a grin, and Sola had to laugh. The twins were relaxing and joking with the family, and when Leia responded immediately with an indignant protest, she knew they would fit right in.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Sola had always loved cooking. She knew people enjoyed what she made, and she loved to share it.</p><p>When Padmé had been a teenager, she tried to learn from Sola and Jobal, but never had the patience nor the natural feel for it, so she gave up almost right away.</p><p>Sola didn’t care. She would continue cooking for her sister as long as she came home to visit, and would do so enthusiastically, with ingredients from her own garden.</p><p>But then the unimaginable had happened. And Padmé never came home again.</p><p>Cooking suddenly became a chore.</p><p>After her husband’s death, Sola never wanted to touch a cookstove again.</p><p>“I’d better get some dinner ready,” Jobal said quietly and gave Sola a small nod and a smile. Beside her, Ruwee spoke rather loudly and animatedly, recounting the story of that first Trade Federation attack just after Padmé had been elected queen. Luke, Leia, and Pooja listened in quiet rapture, their eyes fixed intently on their grandfather like little children listening to a bedtime story.</p><p>“Don’t, Mam,” Sola protested.</p><p>Jobal stopped, her hands still planted on the couch to push herself up.</p><p>“I’ll make some shaak roast,” Sola said. “And start some bread.”</p><p>She felt her mother’s startled gaze on her the whole way to the kitchen. And she smiled.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“My aunt and uncle always told me my father was a navigator on a spice freighter,” Luke said, fork half-raised to his mouth, full of shaak roast.</p><p>Pooja laughed outright. “That really couldn’t be further from the truth.”</p><p>Luke smiled in reply and shrugged. “I think that was the idea.”</p><p>“From what I know, your father was a great man,” Ruwee said.</p><p>From across the table, Sola noticed Leia’s eyes fly upward. Luke just nodded, but the girl had her gaze fixed on her grandfather. The reaction was not one she expected. In their discussions thus far the attitude toward the mention of him had been neutral. When Ruwee put Anakin in such a good light, Sola didn’t expect shock from her niece.</p><p>“The stories of the great General Skywalker,” Ruwee continued, “were all over the holonet. Couldn’t get away from them. Padmé used to keep me up on the news; told me about Anakin and General Kenobi and how the war was going.”</p><p>“She couldn’t tell us much, of course,” Sola interjected. The Clone Wars had been full of uncertainty and unrest for the whole galaxy. Not even Padmé had the inside scoop all the time. “We’d always been just civilians, and she was . . . limited with what she could say.”</p><p>Leia nodded in understanding, and through the short pause in conversation, Sola felt only peace. She was no Jedi, but she had motherly intuition, and that was enough to gauge the atmosphere of the room. Ruwee, Jobal, and Pooja ate the last bits of their shaak roast, Luke’s perceptive eyes flitted across the few faces around the table, and Leia studied her brother’s reactions to the conversations happening around them. Sola felt the sweet, awkward beginnings of a new bond between the six of them—an unconditional familial love that now surrounded the twins and would never break as long as they lived.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>~</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“So, if Mother was a queen,” Luke said, falling into step beside his sister, “does that make us <em>both</em> royalty?”</p><p>Leia threw him a confused glance and pulled open the door to their palace suite. It was well past midnight, and she began to regret turning down Sola’s generous offer to stay the night. The palace wasn’t too far away, she reasoned, and they would need to continue negotiations right away in the morning. But they had spent hours upon hours sharing stories with their family (the words ‘aunt’ and ‘cousin’ and ‘grandparents’ felt foreign but beautiful on her tongue) and none of them had noticed the sun going down over the distant lake. Before they knew it, Jobal was yawning and Ruwee had dozed off in his chair. They had given long hugs and said their heartfelt goodbyes, which ended with invitations to come back for dinner every day for the rest of their lives. The twins promised they would try their best.</p><p>“I don’t think you qualify as a <em>prince</em>, if that’s what you’re asking,” Leia said and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.</p><p>Luke shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em>She knew that face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She’d seen those robes and the stern eyes countless times on the holonet, as she researched the history of the Clone Wars and all the famous generals. But it was foggy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Foggy, and all too clear at the same time.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She saw a flash of purple . . . dark blue robes. Intricate hair, and wide, fearful eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Panic laced the words and spread through the room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>White marble and soft, flowing drapes . . . it was all too bright. Too cheerful. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pain pierced her through the chest, and a scream stuck in her throat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He has become a very great threat.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That face again. Those eyes . . . She knew them. </em>
</p><p>A friend,<em> her father had said. The greatest of the Jedi.</em></p><p>
  <em>General.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The man looked down, and all that swept through the room was confusion. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Regret. Pain. Terror.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He stood. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The white drapes fluttered in the wind. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Anakin is the father, isn’t he?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Silence. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>In striking clarity, she saw the woman’s face. Drawn, pale, hurting . . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m so sorry.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>.</p><p>“I had a vision last night.”</p><p>Luke looked up and slowed his steps to match his sister’s. Behind them, a wind chime sang, and a few birds swooped through the courtyard. The morning sun peeked through the clouds and glinted off the high stone archways, sending gold and red light every which way.</p><p>“It wasn’t a dream,” Leia explained. “It was much more real.”</p><p>“The Force will often give us visions,” Luke said gently, his voice taking on the cool, knowledgeable tone of a teacher that Leia had grown to appreciate. “The past, present, or future. Sometimes it’s hard to discern what’s what.”</p><p>Leia nodded. That much, she knew. “It was of our mother. And Obi-Wan.”</p><p>With that, Luke’s interest was piqued. He tilted his head. “Tell me about it.”</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Leia tried to center her thoughts and remember the details. She carefully recounted the short pieces of dialogue she’d heard and the pounding emotions she’d felt. She realized as she spoke that the balcony had looked out over a familiar city: Coruscant. And Padmé had been cradling her very large, very pregnant abdomen.</p><p>“I think it was right before we were born . . . Right before she died,” she finished and allowed her mind to keep wandering, as it had all morning. What purpose could that vision have served? If it truly was the past being shown to her, why? “Do all visions have a purpose?”</p><p>Luke shook his head. “No . . . But yes, in a way. Visions can help us make sense of ourselves, our situation. They’re pieces to a much larger puzzle. But they can also cause harm without discernment. So be careful, Leia.”</p><p>She nodded, still deep in thought. At least she would have a piece of this particular puzzle to mull over and wonder about. She had an image of her mother’s face seared into her brain, from a first-person point of view instead of a holo, and for that she was strangely grateful.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“I am glad the discussions went so well,” Pooja said.</p><p>The fading evening light filtered through the gaping windows, sending broken rays onto Leia’s hands as she collected her pieces of flimsy from the table. “So am I,” she agreed and smiled up at her cousin. “Thank you for your generosity and your willingness to cooperate with the New Republic.”</p><p>Pooja inclined her head in acknowledgement and gave a kind smile. “I suppose . . . you’ll be leaving soon?” She placed her hands on the armrests of her chair but didn’t stand just yet. Her aides around her stood behind her, still and stoic as ever.</p><p>“Yes,” Leia said. A pang of regret struck in the center of her chest. “We do need to return to Coruscant.”</p><p>Pooja nodded, and a silent understanding swept through the group. Luke kept his head bowed, hands folded in his lap. Leia sent a nudge to him through the Force the best she knew how, and he returned it gently. She felt sadness from him. Loss at the idea of leaving so soon. Just when they had found family at the most unexpected time. Just when they had found a piece to the puzzle of their history . . . their heritage. She wanted to learn more, and she knew her brother did too. Even after all the time they had spent talking with Sola and Ruwee and Jobal and Pooja, there was so much more that they could discuss and learn. There was so much lost time to make up for. Time they may never have. But even through that loss and heartache, she felt endless joy and a newfound love for Naboo and the sparkling hope of new beginnings.</p><p>“While you’re on Coruscant . . .” Pooja began, and watched as the rest of the committee stood and wandered out of the conference room. Their chatter died down and Pooja took a breath, her diplomatic air slowly fading. “Do keep your eyes open for a woman named Ryoo.”</p><p>Leia tilted her head and felt Luke’s quiet curiosity beside her. “Ryoo?” she echoed.</p><p>“My sister,” Pooja explained. “We haven’t heard from her since before the Empire fell. We . . .” she swallowed, her voice becoming low with emotion. “We fear the worst.” She looked up again. “She did not often contact us anyway and ostracized herself from us almost fifteen years ago. I have not been able to go to Coruscant at all, and I know it would probably be useless.”</p><p>Luke answered before Leia even could open her mouth. “We’ll find her,” he promised simply, and left it at that. But his eyes spoke volumes, the bright blue meeting his cousin’s worried gaze with striking intensity. Leia knew that look, and she knew it meant he would never go back on his word, as long as he lived. It was the same determined expression she’d seen countless times before: when he burst into her cell on the Death Star, when he set his jaw and volunteered to fly in the Battle of Yavin, and . . . when he told her he had to leave Endor and confront Vader.</p><p>She hoped Pooja understood.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“The whole thing feels like a dream,” Leia said quietly, and Luke nodded his agreement. He grasped the hyperdrive lever and Leia watched the green and blue and white planet below them disappear in a blur of stars.</p><p>She was quiet for a while, remembering Pooja’s crushing hug before they boarded their ship. She recalled the earthy smell of Sola’s house and her sad yet piercing dark eyes. She took a deep breath and remembered the firm grasp her grandmother Jobal had had on her hand. Ruwee’s voice floated through her memory, speaking of Naboo and the Clone Wars, and she focused on the soft, kind way he had said Padmé’s name. She wandered the streets of Theed in her mind, knowing now that Padmé had walked those same steps, frequented those same gardens, and loved that whole planet with all her heart. She knew that her mother had the same compassion, wit, and drive that she recognized in herself and Luke, that she could now see as separate from Anakin. As a gift from Padmé instead, passed to her children and giving them the strength they needed to carry on her legacy. Jobal had said as much.</p><p>She only wished they had more time with their family . . .</p><p>“We’ll be back,” Luke said quietly, and Leia chided herself for allowing her emotions to pulse so freely through the Force.</p><p>She leaned her head back onto her seat, glanced to her left, and met her brother’s kind, unwavering, steady gaze. And she smiled.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p>
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